


Breathe

by stormy_blue_skies



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Gen, and they all deserve cuddles, i love them sm, marie kondo said 'if it doesn't spark joy then throw it out.' that is what i do with canon, shhh canon doesn't exist, they're soft okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:20:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormy_blue_skies/pseuds/stormy_blue_skies
Summary: Nightmares are hard, especially when they're memories of someone you've lost. But Julie knows she's not alone, and that she has a beautiful family still with her.TW for death mentions/implications
Relationships: Julie & Luke & Reggie & Alex
Comments: 10
Kudos: 49
Collections: Blue's JatP Drabbles





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> Part of writing this was just any other burst of writing urges, but another part was last night. Last night I had a dream about someone I'd lost a few years back, and it still hit just as hard as when the loss was brand new. A large part of my writing (usually my novel) comes from pain, and this is no different. 
> 
> Grief is a horrible, confusing thing. It strikes when you least expect it, and always hurts, even when it's been years. I know that all too well. But if you've lost someone, please don't give up hope, no matter how hard it is. Keep their memory alive, and keep living for them. 
> 
> Sorry for that ramble! Enjoy the fic!

Julie woke in a sweat, whimpering and hugging her knees.

"Jules?” She heard Luke whisper apprehensively from the garage through her open window, but she couldn’t answer, still shaking from the dream. It was the same one as any time she had nightmares; it wasn’t often anymore, but it was always the exact same.

Flashes of her mother’s bright smile, before it all came crashing down.

Waking up in the middle of the night to her father’s sobs.

Julie wanted to claw out her mind every time she had the dream. It always felt wrong to call it a nightmare, because it was about her mother, but it always left a sickening, hollow feeling behind her chest, one she could never reach no matter how many deep breaths she took. 

It’d been almost two years since her mother had passed, and Julie could usually think about her with a sad smile, but be able to go on with her day. But grief was a funny thing. Even as its appearances became few and far between, it always struck just as hard, like an experienced, well-used blade that never dulled. She hated it, hated that it bested her time and time again, no matter how many times her dad, the guys, and even Dr. Turner told her she was strong and handled it well. 

A gentle knock echoed on her door. 

“Jules?” Luke asked, having poofed into the hallway. He could still do that, and be invisible to lifers, but her act of freeing the guys from the stamps had also given them the ability to become fully visible and physical when they wanted.

“Yeah?” she choked out, a few traitorous tears falling down her cheek, making her plan of insisting that she was fine a lot harder.

“Are you doing okay? Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” she replied again, unsure to what question. 

Luke knew, though. She heard the handle on her door gently turn, and Luke’s familiar face peeked through. Julie quickly scrubbed the tears off her face and sniffed. 

“What’s up?” she asked cheerily, but her voice trembled. Luke didn’t answer, but sadness veiled his features as he slowly walked towards her, looking at her to confirm he could. When she didn’t protest, he sat next to her on the pile of pillows. 

“I get nightmares sometimes, too,” he whispered. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Julie went to shake her head, but then the word “mom” slipped out in the tiniest whisper. Luke wrapped his arm around her, and the touch, sent all of Julie’s emotions spilling out, until she was sobbing into her knees, her raspy breaths out of sync with Luke’s.

“I never knew her,” he started, “at least, not really. Maybe I met her at some point, but that’s not what I’m trying to say. Look, Jules, she might not be here right now, but I know that she would be so incredibly proud of the brave, beautiful, human wrecking ball that you are.”

The nickname elicited a laugh, and some of the hollowness in her chest melted away. The sensation was so familiar that she knew what was happening. It was the same feeling she’d had when she freed them from the stamps, so feeling Reggie’s and Alex’s arms wrap around them from either side was no surprise. 

“If she’s watching you, I know she’s cheering you on,” Luke said. 

“Yeah,” Reggie agreed. “And until you can see her again, we’re doing the same. Right, Alex?”

“100%. We love you, Jules.” 

Julie hadn’t realized she was crying until Luke gently brushed a tear off her chin, meeting her eyes and tenderly kissing her forehead. Then, any hollowness left melted away as all three guys wrapped her in a warm hug, falling backwards onto her bed.

She might not have her mom right down the hall anymore, but she had a family, and they were dorky, and fun, and hilarious, and musical, and caring, and always knew exactly what to say. 

So, when Julie fell asleep cuddled between the guys, she could finally breathe clearer than ever before. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! This was really short, but I hope I was able to pour in the emotions as much as I felt them. 
> 
> If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a comment! And as always, feel free to harass me on Tumblr at girlboss-molina!


End file.
